Rome: Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem
About the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem in Rome:
Despite what the name might imply, the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem is located in Rome.
It is one of the seven Pilgrimage Churches of Rome and should not be missed by pilgrims, since it contains several significant artifacts brought from the Holy Land by Saint Helena (Emperor Constantine’s mother).
Originally built around 320 A.D. it was a small chapel attached to Saint Helena’s home and the floor contained some soil brought back from the holy land.
The relics in the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem in Rome:
Perhaps the most famous of the relics enshrined at Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in the Chapel of the Holy Relics are three fragments from the True Cross, one nail used in the crucifixion, and small pieces of the scourging pillar, two of the thorns in the crown of thorns, the finger of Thomas the Apostle.
The tomb of Venerable Antonietta Mea in the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem in Rome:
You will also find the tomb of Venerable Antonietta Mea. Nicknamed “Nennolina”. Antonietta Mea was born on December 15, 1930 in Rome. When she was 5, already suffering from the bone cancer that would lead first to the amputation of her leg and then would metastasize to her hand, foot, throat, mouth and head.
She longed to receive her first Holy Communion. She got her wish on Christmas 1936, just after her sixth birthday. In preparation, she did catechetical lessons with her mother each night, received her first confession, and began to write, first with the help of her mother and then on her own, a series of moving letters to Jesus, God the Father, the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother in which she described her longing.
She passed away on July 3, 1937 at the age of 6. Pope Benedict XVI declared her “Venerable” on Dec. 17, 2007.
The Cistercian Garden:
The Cistercian Garden here was originally created inside the Castrense Amphitheater next to the present-day Basilica. For for centuries it was linked to the Basilica and its convent. In 2004, the garden was recreated. The project was made by the architect Paolo Pejrone, and the work started with the aid of the “Friends of The Holy Cross in Jerusalem” Association.
The elliptical space is divided by two perpendicular paths covered by pergolas that meet at a central fountain. The carefully cultivated flower beds are full of herbs, fruit trees and various species of flowers whose arrangement not only is aesthetically pleasing, but also hides symbolic meanings. The general impression, crossing the curtain of colored glass of the entrance gate (made by Jannis Kounellis nel2007), is that of an extraordinary balance, peace and serenity.
Traveling to the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem in Rome:
We have always found this to be an interesting and a convenient location as it is very close to the Basilica of Saint John Lateran. For some reason it is not included on many organized tours and whenever we visit there do not seem to be many people in the Basilica. It is easy for independent travelers to visit both–or if you are with an organized tour that does not include it try to break away for an hour or so. You will already be close to it if you are visiting Saint John Lateran or several of the other Basilicas in Rome.
It is definitely worth the time. It is open daily and admission is free.
Click here for the official website of the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem in Rome (shown as Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in many maps).